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Government official advocates for financial allocation for a third consecutive year of waived student fees.

Emphasizing budget balance, Tischner expressed concerns that expanding free kindergarten to three...
Emphasizing budget balance, Tischner expressed concerns that expanding free kindergarten to three years might compromise other budget sectors within his department.

Thuringia's Minister of Education Pushes for Ample Funding for Third Free Kindergarten Year in 2026 and 2027 Budgets

Government official requests budget allocation for an additional free year of kindergarten education - Government official advocates for financial allocation for a third consecutive year of waived student fees.

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Christian Tischner, Thuringia's Minister of Education, is demanding that the state parliament ensures adequate funding for the upcoming introduction of the third free kindergarten year. Tischner stressed, "We shouldn't jeopardize essential investments in the quality of early childhood and school education just to offer a third free kindergarten year."

Currently, the second and final kindergarten years are gratis in Thuringia, with the Left party pushing hard for a third one too. They're estimating the annual costs to be around 30 to 35 million euros.

In 2025, the CDU, BSW, and SPD coalition partners agreed with the Left party to introduce the third free kindergarten year by August 1, 2027. This spending needs to be included in the double budget for 2026/2027, according to Minister President Mario Voigt. Voigt stated, "This double budget will be our Brombeer coalition's first budget to truly reflect our values."

Since the recent adopted state budget 2025 was still prepared by the previous red-red-green government, this budget for 2026 and 2027 will be the first to receive the unique signature of the Brombeer coalition.

Of course, as things stand, we can't provide the exact financial impact on the education budget or the overall costs for the years 2026 and 2027 for this expanded free kindergarten program in Thuringia.

However, based on general knowledge, as Thuringia already offers free childcare for the last 24 months before school entry, providing up to three free kindergarten years for children aged 3 and above[4], expanding these free kindergarten years usually leads to increased public expenditure in the education budget. This is because the government takes over costs that were previously covered by parents or private providers, increasing spending on staffing, facilities, and educational materials.

Without explicit budget reports or official government releases from Thuringia for the years 2026 and 2027, specific numbers or projections remain unattainable. The best sources for accurate information would be Thuringia’s Ministry of Education or official state budget documents closer to or during 2025–2027. Keep in mind that the provided search results do not contain this data. 📚💸👶🏫🇩🇪🧑‍

  1. According to Thuringia's Minister of Education, Christian Tischner, the upcoming state parliament should ensure sufficient funding for the third free kindergarten year, which is planned to be introduced in the 2026 and 2027 budgets.
  2. The Left party in Thuringia has estimated the annual costs for the third free kindergarten year to be around 30 to 35 million euros.
  3. In 2025, a coalition of CDU, BSW, and SPD agreed with the Left party to introduce the third free kindergarten year by August 1, 2027, and Minister President Mario Voigt stated that this spending should be included in the double budget for 2026/2027.
  4. The adoption of a new community policy, including the expansion of free kindergarten years, could lead to increased public expenditure in the education budget, as the government would take over costs previously covered by parents or private providers.

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